Review: Co-op Cycles DRT 3.2 Full Suspension Mountain Bike

XC bikes intended for moving fast over aerodynamic terrain generally contain high head and seat tube angles (70 to 72, and 73+). These steeper angles place you within the middle of your bicycle for powerful, efficient pedaling, especially when scaling. While fast and efficient, they can be sketchy on the downhills and throughout the rough stuff, as the forward location and steeper fork angle cause you more prone to endo.

Groupset

In between these two extremes is the mountain bike/trail bike which climbs well while nevertheless descending confidently — this is the place where the DRT 3.2 sits with its head tube angle at the 67-degree range and marginally more 441mm chainstay period to deliver a more steady ride.

The rims and tires come tubeless prepared — REI needed to make certain it was easy that you set them up tubeless yourself by just purchasing a valve stem and some sealant. And if you are worried about messing it up (and it could get cluttered on your first two or three tries), it’s fast and easy for your neighborhood bike shop to perform for you. Running tubeless enabled us to lose the bike pressure a significant bit in Sedona for not just superior traction on the slickrock, however, a bumpy ride over the insides terrain.
Photo by: John Watson
This is 1 mountain bike trend that REI did follow, setting up the DRT 3.2 at a 1 x 12 configuration with SRAM NX Eagle. I’ve said it before and I shall say it once you proceed Eagle, you’ll never go back. And also the Shimano hydraulic brakes were smooth and quick to engage with just 1 finger.

Wheels

Those agave plants are really sharp!
Last week I traveled to Sedona with REI to try out the new Co-op Cycles DRT 3.2 complete suspension mountain bike. Originally planned for back in February to coincide with the official bike launching, the trip was postponed due to freak snowstorms. To our surprise, we were met once more with unseasonably cold and rainy weather. Albeit chilly occasionally, a two-day break from the rain created for ideal riding conditions. To top it off, the cacti and wildflowers were in blossom, lending bright squares to the rocky, red-hued terrain.

To do this, the Co-op Cycles team not just made a broad assortment of durable-yet-lightweight aluminum frame sizes, from XS up to XL, but also accommodated the wheel dimensions so — that the XS and S frames obtained 26-inch wheels while the larger frame sizes got 27.5-inch wheels. Throw on several 2.8-inch WTB Ranger tires and you have an ultra cush ride. Those plus size tires roll over almost anything and make you feel super secure when dropping from ledges.

If you are interested in finding a bike that will take you to this next degree of trail riding but won’t break the bank, then the DRT 3.2 is a wonderful selection. It’s a very capable bike and a lot of pleasure to ride.
Riding in Sedona is completely different from drifting in the Bay Region. Namely, it’s technical and weathered, and rather than settling in for a very long uphill matched with an equally lengthy downhill, you’ve got continual punchy rollers that need power to get up and above specialized bits. This terrain lends itself to a certain kind of bike — one that can climb but pulls no punches about the downhills.
The DRT 3.2 gave me confidence to ride stuff I never would in an XC bike. Yes, I’d have a couple of dramatic crashes — nothing serious — but that just proves I felt comfortable enough to try out something I generally could have simply walked. I amazed myself at what I was able to catch up an over in addition to fall into and from the conclusion of the second full day of driving, my optimism was growing. I wasn’t really at the huck-off-ledges stage to test the limits of this suspension as a number of the other riders, but I had been having fun analyzing my own personal limits.

The Ride

Tess making simple work of this Mescal Trail.
I’m an XC mountain biker in the heart, typically found riding a bicycle designed to go quickly, not exactly shred. Obviously, I wasn’t 100-percent convinced in driving the notoriously chunky terrain around Sedona. But this makes me the perfect candidate for the new DRT 3.2 — with size plus its tires, idle geometry, and long journey, the bicycle instills confidence in the huck-averse among us.
Not one to simply follow the latest mountain bike trends, REI turned to their own members to comprehend what they were looking for at a mountain bike. The number one response? Fit.

To make a bike that excels in this type of terrain, then the Co-op Cycles design team took a new look at everything from geometry and suspension to both wheel and tire dimensions. Having a dirt initial mindset, the staff wanted to make a bicycle that made sense, that was practical, and able to ride.

Photo by: John Watson, The Radavist
On the larger frame dimensions (M-XL), the RockShox Revelation RC fork provides up to 140mm of travel — 120mm to the smaller frame sizes. Couple that with the 130mm of rear suspension travel (120mm on smaller sizes) and this do-it-all bicycle creates a respectable climber that’s more than comfortable to the rough material. Insert from the dropper article, and at this point you have a bicycle that is able to drop in to steep, technical terrain.
The Co-op Cycles DRT 3.2 sells for only $2,380 available ($2,799 retail) and is available now from REI.

Geometry

Sedona really is a gorgeous place to ride bikes.

Photo by: John Watson, The Radavist

Modern slack geometries feature lower angles, placing you back in connection to the middle of the bicycle. But on the extreme end are downhill bikes that may handle super steep and specialized path but pretty much suck at scaling.